Ricotta Glazed Blueberry Cake

This blueberry cake is moist and bursting with juicy blueberries then topped with a ricotta glaze which adds a creamy richness to the cake! Serve with coffee or tea for brunch, dessert or any special occasion. 

Blueberry desserts are a family favorite and no matter the baked good when I add fresh, juicy blueberries to it, it becomes irresistible. This glazed ricotta blueberry cake is just one more reason to love this sweet berry. 

This buttery, moist cake has a similar taste to my easy blueberry bars but I made it in a bundt pan like my easy blueberry cake with vanilla glaze. It’s the best of both desserts! 

While a crumb topping like my blueberry crumb cake would work here, too, I decided upon a ricotta glaze to not only give it an Italian taste, but also because it adds so much creaminess to the top of the cake! 

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Moist and rich: This cake is baked in a bundt pan which results in a cake with a moist texture with a sightly dense crumb. A typical Italian cake.
• Flavorful: Fresh blueberries add the perfect amount of sweet and tangy berry taste in each bite
• Easy to make: With simple ingredients, this cake can be prepped in a few minutes and in the oven to bake. 

You will need 10 ingredients to make this cake: cake flour which will add a light crumb to the cake that isn’t possible with all-purpose flour, pastry flour can be used as well. Baking powder and salt, you will need two eggs and one large egg yolk. Best to bring the eggs to room temperature to ensure they incorporate fully into the batter. Granulated sugar, sugar is important because, it adds a sweet taste to the cake and balances the tart blueberry taste, it also helps to soften the crumb and add moisture. Vanilla extract, butter, milk, either whole or 2% milk is best to use for added flavor, and of course blueberries.

Ricotta glaze: Ricotta cheese and powdered sugar. 

Substitutions and Variations

• Lemon zest: If you love the taste and tang of citrus in your blueberry cake, add up to 2 Tablespoons of lemon zest. We love this combination in my blueberry scones.
• Oil: Instead of butter you can use vegetable oil in this cake. While your cake will not be as rich, oil often adds a more tender crumb in cake. 
• Frozen blueberries: While I love fresh blueberries, you can use frozen blueberries, too. No need to thaw them but be sure to toss them with a little flour. 
• Buttermilk: To add additional soft texture and flavor to the blueberry cake, use buttermilk instead of milk.
• Glaze: Instead of a ricotta glaze, you can just dust the cake with powdered sugar or use a cream cheese glaze, the lemon glaze from my blueberry baked donuts or a simple vanilla glaze. 

This is how you make the Blueberry Cake

In a medium bowl whisk together flour, baking powder and salt.

In a large bowl of a stand mixer or using an electric mixer, beat the eggs, egg yolk and sugar until light in color, this will take a few minutes. Add the vanilla, melted butter and milk, beat to combine. 

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and beat to combine. Fold in the blueberries.

Then spoon the cake batter evenly in the prepared pan. Bake until baked through. Cool for a bit in the pan, then move to a wire rack to cool completely. 

In a small bowl, combine ricotta glaze ingredients and stir until smooth. Drizzle cooled cake with ricotta glaze before serving. Remember Italian cakes are denser than North American cakes and usually not as sweet, personally I much prefer them now over butter cream frosted cakes I grew up with.

Expert Tips

• Prevent blueberries from sinking: Toss blueberries with flour to prevent them from sinking in the cake. 
• Size of blueberries: It can be hard to predict what mother nature will give us with fresh blueberries, but for cakes I prefer smaller to medium sized blueberries. Large blueberries tend to sink to the bottom of the cake. 
• Spray pan: To prevent your cake from sticking, spray the bundt pan with cooking spray. I also like to dust it with flour to ensure the cake removes easily from the pan. 
• Toothpick test: All ovens bake differently so start checking your cake for doneness at 40 minutes. If a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean it’s done! If it’s still wet with batter, bake for another 5-10 minutes before checking again. 
• Cool completely before adding glaze: Otherwise the glaze will just run off the sides or pool in the middle of the cake. 

fAQ: Can I use other Berries?

If you would like to make this cake with other berries, you definitely can. If using strawberries, dice them first. Smaller raspberries and blackberries would work great, too! 

FAQ: Can i use a different pan to bake the cake?

Yes, but the baking time will change. You can use a 9×13 pan and start checking for doneness around 30 minutes. A tube pan will work but may take longer to bake. 

FAQ: How to store leftover cake?

Unglazed cake can be stored covered at room temperature for up to 3 days. If your home is hot and humid, store in the refrigerator. Glazed blueberry cake should be stored in the fridge and brought to room temperature before serving. 

FAQ: can i freeze this blueberry cake?

Yes, but it is best to do so before adding the ricotta glaze. Cool completely then store either the whole cake covered in plastic wrap then aluminum foil or wrap each slice individually. Store in a freezer safe bag for up to one month. Thaw in the refrigerator, add the glaze if desired and enjoy. 

This Blueberry Cake with a light Ricotta glaze was a big hit in our family, I hope it is in your’s too! Let me know. Enjoy!

More Blueberry Recipes to Try

• Homemade Blueberry Pie
• Streusel Topped Blueberry Pie
• Ricotta Blueberry Strudel
• Blueberry Cream Cheese Danish
• Streusel Chocolate Chip Blueberry Muffins